A Pertemis Story
by JJC24
Summary: After Percy discovers Annabeth cheating on him he runs away from his world. broken and alone. Percy was the only man Artemis respected, now it is her job to find the young demigod. How will Artemis find Percy and bond with him? facing some old enemies and some new ones, it all comes down to one thing, Pertemis!
1. A Hero's Reward

_Love, love is a most interesting thing. It can bring people together or it can tear worlds apart. It can be joyous or it can be tragic. Such power love holds, a force far greater than any other. Without you my love, i know not what might of become._

 _Thank you_

 _Love,_

 _Artemis_

 **Chapter 1**

 **A Hero's Reward**

Percy's POV

"Which leaves us," Zeus mumbled, "only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well—even if there are a few dents in my throne."

He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks.

Artemis smiled. "You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure." She glared pointedly at Hades.

He shrugged. "Probably."

Artemis glared at him some more.

"Okay," Hades grumbled. "I'll streamline their application process."

Thalia beamed with pride. "Thank you, my lady." She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis's side.

"Tyson, son of Poseidon!" Zeus called. Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the Council, and Zeus grunted.

"Doesn't miss many meals, does he?" Zeus muttered. "Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new…um…what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?"

"Stick!" Tyson said, showing his broken club

"Very well," Zeus said. "We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found."

"Hooray!" Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them.

"Grover Underwood of the satyrs!" Dionysus called.

Grover came forward nervously.

"Oh, stop chewing your shirt," Dionysus chided. "Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover collapsed on the spot.

"Oh, wonderful," Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads, and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honors, blah, blah, blah. Now please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts groveling."

"FOOOOOD," Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away.

I figured he'd be okay. He would wake up as a lord of the Wild with a bunch of beautiful naiads taking care of him. Life could be worse.

The

Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

Annabeth squeezed my arm, then walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.

Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is…well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My…my lady?"

Athena smiled wryly. "You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?"

"You mean…I can design whatever I want?"

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages."

"As long as you have plenty of statues of me," Apollo added

"And me," Aphrodite agreed.

"Hey, and me!" Ares said. "Big statues with huge wicked swords and—"

"All right!" Athena interrupted. "She gets the point. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus."

Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back toward me.

"Way to go," I told her, grinning.

For once she was at a loss for words. "I'll…I'll have to start planning…Drafting paper, and, um, pencils—"

"PERCY JACKSON!" Poseidon announced.

My name echoed around the chamber.

All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone's eyes were on me— all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits. I walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at me reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile gave me courage to keep walking.

First I bowed to Zeus. Then I knelt at my father's feet.

"Rise, my son," Poseidon said.

I stood uneasily.

"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"

I waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like me, but not a single one protested.

"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

I hesitated. "Any gift?"

Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."

I stared at him, stunned. "Um…a god?"

Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."

"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."

"I approve as well," Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth.

I glanced back. Annabeth was trying not to meet my eyes. Her face was pale. I flashed back to two years ago, when I'd thought she was going to take the pledge to Artemis and become a Hunter. I'd been on the edge of a panic attack, thinking that I'd lose her. She had looked pretty much the same way I did now.

I thought about the Three Fates, and the way I'd seen my life flash by. I could avoid all that. No aging, no death, no body in the grave. I could be a teenager forever, in top condition, powerful, and immortal, serving my father. I could have power and eternal life.

Who could refuse that?

Then I looked at Annabeth again. I thought about my friends from camp: Charles Beckendorf, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, so many others who were now dead. I thought about Ethan Nakamura and Luke.

And I knew who could refuse such a offer, me.

"No," I said.

The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard.

"No?" Zeus said. "You are…turning down our generous gift?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm rolling in.

"I'm honored and everything," I said. "Don't get me wrong. It's just…I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."

The gods were glaring at me as if i were the dumbest person in the world, which I probably was, but Annabeth had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were shining. And that kind of made up for it.

"I do want a gift, though," I said. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"

Zeus thought about this. "If it is within our power."

"It is," I said. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."

"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?"

"Someone once told me," I said, looking at Hades, "you should always get a solemn oath."

Hades shrugged. "Guilty."

"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power.

The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

"From now on, I want to you to properly recognize the children of the gods," I said. "All the children…of all the gods."

The Olympians shifted uncomfortably.

"Percy," my father said, "what exactly do you mean?"

"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," I said. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."

Zeus's royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse—"

"No more undetermined children," I said. "I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."

"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, but I was on a roll.

"And the minor gods," I said. "Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe—they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades—"

"Are you calling me a minor god ?" Hades bellowed.

"No, my lord," I said quickly. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. That is my wish."

Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"

"Percy," Poseidon said, "you ask much. You presume much."

"I hold you to your oath," I said. "All of you."

I got a lot of steely looks. Strangely, it was Athena who spoke up: "The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps"—she glanced at Annabeth, and then spoke as if the words had a sour taste—"perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy's plan."

"Humph," Zeus said. "Being told what to do by a mere child. But I suppose…"

"All in favor," Hermes said.

All the gods raised their hands.

"Um, thanks," I said.

"Are you sure you don't want anything for yourself?" Poseidon asked, at least a cool new toy."

"Maybe a bow, i really need to improve that particular skill"

I turned, but before I could leave, Poseidon called, "Honor guard!"

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door—an aisle for me to walk through. They came to attention.

"All hail, Perseus Jackson," Tyson said. "Hero of Olympus…and my big brother!

(Line break)

Epic wasn't the right word for the party on Olympus. I think the most accurate word is devine. Which I suppose makes sense. I may hate Mr. D. But even I can admit, the guys got a real talent.

The whole thing completely overwhelmed me. The whole party was situated in an astounding garden. To one side was a banquet of interesting and exotic foods. On the other side was a large dance floor. The nine muses were playing the most beautiful music i have ever heard, making the likes of Mozart and Bach sound like a toddler pounding on a poorly tuned keyboard(although in Mozarts case that's pretty accurate).

The whole ordeal reminded me of a Bar Mitzvah or a wedding, or really a sweet 16. And I was of course, the main course.

There were so many gods and spirits that came up to me that it all kinda melted together. Its a good conversation starter really.

"You know, I was once at a party full of gods."

"Oh yeah! What are they like?"

"I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention."

As soon as i could, i tried to sneak out, emphasis on tried. The fates must really hate me because all the sudden i hear a voice from behind.

"Well, Percy," she said. "You will stay mortal."

I turned around, "Um, yes, ma'am."

"I want to know your reasons."

If course she does, just like everyone else at this damn party.

"I want to be a regular guy. I want to grow up. Have, you know, a regular high school experience."

"And my daughter?"

Guess, she wasn't buying the "I just want the normal high school experience" excuse.

"I couldn't leave her," I admitted, my throat dry. "Or Grover," I added quickly. "Or—"

"Spare me." Athena stepped close to me, and I could feel her aura of power making my skin itch. "I once warned you, Percy Jackson, that to save a friend you would destroy the world. Perhaps I was mistaken. You seem to have saved both your friends and the world. But think very carefully about how you proceed from here. I have given you the benefit of the doubt. Don't mess up."

Just to prove her point, she erupted in a column of flame, charring the front of my shirt, showoff. I exited the party and made my way through an empty Olympus. Even destroyed it was still the most beautiful city I had ever seen, how Annabeth was going to top it was unknown to me.

I headed for the elevator down to earth. When i got there i saw Hermes, staring at Iris images in a fountain. He didn't seem to notice me approach. The Iris-message images were going so fast I could hardly understand them. Mortal newscasts from all over the country flashed by: scenes of Typhon's destruction, the wreckage our battle had left across Manhattan, the president doing a news conference, the mayor of New York, some army vehicles riding down the Avenue of the Americas.

"Amazing," Hermes murmured, turning toward me. "Three thousand years, and I will never get over the power of the Mist…and mortal ignorance."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Oh, not you. Although, I suppose I should wonder, turning down immortality."

"It was the right choice."

Hermes looked at me curiously, then returned his attention to the Iris-message. "Look at them. They've already decided Typhon was a freak series of storms. Don't I wish. They haven't figured out how all the statues in Lower Manhattan got removed from their pedestals and hacked to pieces. They keep showing a shot of Susan B. Anthony strangling Frederick Douglass. But I imagine they'll even come up with a logical explanation for that."

"How bad is the city?"

Hermes shrugged. "Surprisingly, not too bad. The mortals are shaken, of course. But this is New York. I've never seen such a resilient bunch of humans. I imagine they'll be back to normal in a few weeks; and of course I'll be helping.

"You?"

"I'm the messenger of the gods. It's my job to monitor what the mortals are saying, and if necessary, help them make sense of what's happened. I'll reassure them. Trust me, they'll put this down to a freak earthquake or a solar flare. Anything but the truth."

He sounded bitter. George and Martha curled around his caduceus, but they were silent, which made me think that Hermes was really really angry. I probably should've kept quiet, but I said, "I owe you an apology."

Hermes gave me a cautious look. "And why is that?"

"I thought you were a bad father," I admitted. "I thought you abandoned Luke because you knew his future and didn't do anything to stop it."

"I did know his future," Hermes said miserably.

"But you knew more than just the bad stuff—that he'd turn evil. You understood what he would do in the end. You knew he'd make the right choice. But you couldn't tell him, could you?"

Hermes stared at the fountain. "No one can tamper with fate, Percy, not even a god. If I had warned him what was to come, or tried to influence his choices, I would've made things even worse. Staying silent, staying away from him…that was the hardest thing I've ever done."

"You had to let him find his own path," I said, "and play his part in saving Olympus."

Hermes sighed. "I should not have gotten mad at Annabeth. When Luke visited her in San Francisco…well, I knew she would have a part to play in his fate. I foresaw that much. I thought perhaps she could do what I could not and save him. When she refused to go with him, I could barely contain my rage. I should have known better. I was really angry with myself."

"Annabeth did save him," I said. "Luke died a hero. He sacrificed himself to kill Kronos."

"I appreciate your words, Percy. But Kronos isn't dead. You can't kill a Titan."

"Then—"

"I don't know," Hermes grumbled. "None of us do. Blown to dust. Scattered to the wind. With luck, he's spread so thin that he'll never be able to form a consciousness again, much less a body. But don't mistake him for dead, Percy."

My stomach did a queasy somersault. "What about the other Titans?"

"In hiding," Hermes said. "Prometheus sent Zeus a message with a bunch of excuses for supporting Kronos. 'I was just trying to minimize the damage,' blah, blah. He'll keep his head low for a few centuries if he's smart. Krios has fled, and Mount Othrys has crumbled into ruins. Oceanus slipped back into the deep ocean when it was clear Kronos had lost. Meanwhile, my son Luke is dead. He died believing I didn't care about him. I will never forgive myself."

Hermes slashed his caduceus through the mist. The Iris-picture disappeared.

"A long time ago," I said, "you told me the hardest thing about being a god was not being able to help your children. You also told me that you couldn't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they made it."

"And now you know I'm a hypocrite?"

"No, you were right. Luke loved you. At the end, he realized his fate. I think he realized why you couldn't help him. He remembered what was important."

"Too late for him and me."

"You have other children. Honor Luke by recognizing them. All the gods can do that."

Hermes's shoulders sagged. "They'll try, Percy. Oh, we'll all try to keep our promise. And maybe for a while things will get better. But we gods have never been good at keeping oaths. You were born because of a broken promise, eh? Eventually we'll become forgetful. We always do."

"You can change."

Hermes laughed. "After three thousand years, you think the gods can change their nature?"

"Yeah," I said confidently, "I do."

Hermes seemed surprised by that. "You think…Luke actually loved me? After all that happened?"

"I'm sure of it."

Hermes stared at the fountain. "I'll give you a list of my children. There's a boy in Wisconsin. Two girls in Los Angeles. A few others. Will you see that they get to camp?"

"I promise," I said. "And I won't forget."

George and Martha twirled around the caduceus. I know snakes can't smile, but they seemed to be trying.

"Percy Jackson," Hermes said, "you might just teach us gods a thing or two."

A bright flash covered my vision And I was in the lobby of the Empire State Building. No body seemed to care that a teenaged boy appeared out of nowhere, but I suppose they had a lot on their plates.

I saw my mom and Paul standing by the elevator arguing with a bald security guy.

"I'm telling you," my mom yelled, "we have to go up! My son—" Then she saw me and her eyes widened. "Percy!

She hugged the life out of me.

"We saw the blue flag," she started, "but you didn't come back down, you went up hours ago!"

"She was getting anxious," Paul said dryly.

"I'm ok," I said. Then I explained all that had occurred. Honestly, it was a real shitty birthday looking back on it.

Suddenly we heard a shout, "Percy come quick, it Rachel, she took your Pegasus."

Why can't a guy catch a break.

Fun fact about me-no one, and I mean No one steals my Pegasus and gets away with it. After throughly apologising to my mom we took the grey sisters cab to camp. It would have been faster to use shadow travel but Nico was way to exhausted apparently, so we had to make do.

Argus met us at the edge he of the camp.

"Is she here?" I asked.

He nodded grimly.

"Is everything okay?" Nico asked.

Argus shook his head.

We followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. But the place was mostly empty.

Up at the Big House, something was definitely wrong. Green light was shooting out all the windows, just like I'd seen in my dream about May Castellan. Mist—the magical kind—swirled around the yard. Chiron lay on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around him. Blackjack cantered nervously in the grass.

"Don't blame me, boss," he pleaded when he saw me, "the weird girl made me do it!"

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.

"What's she doing?" I demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"

"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

"Rachel!" I called, but the satyrs stopped me when I tried to go any closer.

"Percy, don't," Chiron warned. He winced as he tried to move. His left arm was in a sling, his two back legs were in splints, and his head was wrapped in bandages. "You can't interrupt.

"I thought you explained things to her!"

"I did. And I invited her here."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said—"

"I know what I said, Percy. But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."

"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"

The Mist swirled around Rachel. She shivered like she was going into shock.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Stop!"

I ran toward her, ignoring the satyrs. I got within ten feet and hit something like an invisible beach ball. I bounced back and landed in the grass.

Rachel opened her eyes and turned. She looked like she was sleepwalking—like she could see me, but only in a dream.

"It's all right." Her voice sounded far away. "This is why I've come."

"You'll be destroyed!"

She shook her head. "This is where I belong, Percy. I finally understand why."

It sounded too much like what May Castellan had said. I had to stop her, but I couldn't even get to my feet.

The house rumbled. The door flew open and green light poured out. I recognized the warm musty smell of snakes.

Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house. Then the Oracle appeared in the doorway.

The withered mummy shuffled forward in her rainbow dress. She looked even worse than usual, which is saying a lot. Her hair was falling out in clumps. Her leathery skin was cracking like the seat of a worn-out bus. Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, but I got the creepiest feeling she was being drawn straight toward Rachel.

Rachel held out her arms. She didn't look scared.

"You've waited too long," Rachel said. "But I'm here now."

The sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared above the porch, floating in the air—a blond dude in a white toga, with sunglasses and a cocky smile.

"Apollo," I said

He winked at me but held up his finger to his lips.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he said. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nodded. "It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the god said.

Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

I didn't know where she was getting the words, but they flowed out of her as the Mist thickened. A green column of smoke, like a huge python, uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs, curling affectionately around Rachel's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist enveloped Rachel in a column.

For a moment I couldn't see her at all. Then the smoke cleared.

Rachel collapsed and curled into the fetal position. Nico, and I rushed forward, but Apollo said, "Stop! This is the most delicate part."

"What's going on?" I demanded. "What do you mean?"

Apollo studied Rachel with concern. "Either the spirit takes hold, or it doesn't."

"And if it doesn't?" I asked.

"Five syllables," Apollo said, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."

Despite Apollo's warning, I ran forward and knelt over Rachel. The smell of the attic was gone. The Mist sank into the ground and the green light faded. But Rachel was still pale, and she was barely breathing.

Then her eyes fluttered open. She focused on me with difficulty. "Percy."

"Are you okay?"

She tried to sit up. "Ow." She pressed her hands to her temples.

"Rachel," Nico said, "your life aura almost faded completely. I could see you dying."

"I'm all right," she murmured. "Please, help me up. The visions—they're a little disorienting."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked

Apollo drifted down from the porch. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."

"You're kidding," Nico said.

Rachel managed a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle."

I blinked. "You mean you can tell the future now?"

"Not all the time," she said. "But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I…Oh no—"

"It's starting," Apollo announced excitedly.

Rachel doubled over like someone had punched her. Then she stood up straight and her eyes glowed serpent green.

When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled—like three Rachels were talking at once:

 _two lovers remain to save us all_

 _Against the foe that can never fall_

 _The oathbreaker must pay the price_

 _A hero's story, to their last breath_

 _The wise know the sacrifice_

 _And one forever wising for the clutch of death_

At the last word, Rachel collapsed. Nico and I caught her and helped her to the porch.

Her skin was feverish.

"I'm all right," she said, her voice returning to normal.

"What was that?" I asked.

She shook her head, confused. "What was what?"

"I believe," Apollo said, "that we just heard the next Great Prophecy."

"What does it mean?" I demanded.

Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said."

"No," Apollo mused. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."

"What?" I said. "But—"

"Percy," Apollo said, "I wouldn't worry too much. The last Great Prophecy about you took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime.

I thought about the lines Rachel had spoken in that creepy voice: about sacrifice and a hero's last breath and the Clutch of Death. "Maybe," I said, "but it didn't sound so good."

"No," said Apollo cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!

(Line break)

Normally demigods don't live happy lives, but as Annabeth and I sat on a blanket holding hands, looking towards the sunset I thought to myself, no more hero shit. Her blonde hair reflected the sunlight perfectly and her steely grey eyes pierced my soul.

"You want another strawberry?" She asked, yanking me out of my thoughts.

"Sure"

I took the strawberry from her hand and took a bite. I played with the sweet fruit in my mouth before slowly swallowing.

"Hey Annabeth," I started.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's been a long day, I think I'm going to bed."

She nodded sadly, "Good night seaweed brain."

"Good night wise girl"

I slowly got up and headed towards cabin 3, my footstep tracks leading away from the isolated beach.

I opened the door to the empty cabin and plummeted myself onto the soft bed quickly falling into a dreamless slumber.

I woke up to sounds of movement outside my window, it was still dark out. That's strange I thought, better go check it out. Even at 16 years of age I was a curious child. I grabbed riptide and stepped outside.

I'm going to admit I have never really been all that good at sneaking around, that's more of a hunter thing. However whoever it was I was following didn't seem to notice me. I continued to follow the noises into the woods until I came across a small clearing. There were two figures, one was some random camper I forget the name too, but the other figure, I knew her well. There was Annabeth, stripped to her panties kissing someone that was definitely not me.

Emotions swelled up inside of me. Anger, jealousy, but dominantly betrayal. I quickly turned away and ran back to cabin 3, tears falling freely from my eyes. When I entered the cabin I started to gather my things, my mind roaring with horrible thoughts. I looked to look at the horn I had gotten 4 years ago, it felt like it should have been longer. I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned away.

Soon I left camp half-blood far behind. When I felt I had gotten far enough away I reached into my right pocket. I pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Written on the paper in neat blue ink was a list of names and addresses. Time to get to work.

 **I have come back to this story after a long break. Re reading the thing I realized that it could use a lot of work so I'm just going to restart, much of the plot will stay the same as before but more polished. The chapters will also be longer about 4,000 to 8,000. The other chapters were just to short for my liking, I would like to do even longer chapters around 10k but without changing POVs which I don't want to do I'll have to settle for this. Anyway, thanks for reading, leave a review, I promise I'll pm you a response(I can't PM guests but I will read them to I promise)**

 **Chapter 2 Preview**

 **The Hunt begins**

A cool breeze brushed up against Artemis. She liked autumn, the leaves were full of colour and it was not nearly as blistering hot as summer often was. The squirrels were running around in search of nuts for the winter. The earthy smell that seemed to float through the forest.

Things had certainly calmed down since Kronos's Titan uprising during the summer. Monsters were scarce, most of them being recently slain in the battle of Manhattan and having yet reformed.

I felt the leaves crumble under my small bare feet. Carefully creeping as I made my way through the thick forest. Stalking my prey from a good 50 yards behind. The creature gave no inclination that it knew it was being hunted. A smile crept onto my face, nothing in the world is better than a hunt.

I knocked my arrow, aimed, and fired. The target, a strong buck, groaned in agony as the arrow hit its mark and lodged deep in the animal's throat. The deer fell to the ground clearly in pain. I sprinted forward and grabbed my hunting knives. I quickly put the poor beast out of its misery with a slash across the throat. I gently took the arrow out of the corpse and flashed it to my personal tent.

Happy with my success I made my way through the forest and back towards the clearing where the hunt had set up camp.


	2. The Hunt begins

**I don't own Percy Jackson bla bla bla**

 **Chapter 2**

 **The Hunt Begins**

 _Artemis's POV_

A cool forest breeze brushed up against the goddess Artemis' skin. She had always liked autumn, the leaves were full of colour and it was not nearly as blistering hot as summer often was. The squirrels were running around in search of nuts for the cold and barren winter. She just loved the wholesome earthy smell that seemed to float through the forest. It was easily her favourite season.

Things had certainly calmed down since Kronos' Titan uprising during the summer. Monsters were scarce, most of them being recently slain in the battle of Manhattan and having yet reformed. With any luck it will take years for the monsters to return to carrying capacity. This of course had a down side, the Hunt was left with a rather free schedule. Not that I particularly minded, after all it would be a great time to recruit new hunters and train them all to be better than anyone in their way. All the free time and abstinence from monsters also gave me a chance to do the one thing I truly love, hunting.

I felt the leaves crumble under my small bare feet. Carefully creeping as I made my way through the thick forest. Stalking my prey from a good 50 yards behind. Peeking at it through the brush as it quietly munched at the fallen leaves. The creature gave no inclination that it knew it was being hunted. A smile crept onto my face, nothing in the world is better than a good hunt.

I carefully knocked my arrow, aimed, and fired. The target, a strong healthy buck, screamed in agony as the arrow hit its mark and lodged deep in the animal's throat. The deer fell to the ground clearly in pain but not quite yet dead. I sprinted forward and grabbed my hunting knives. I quickly put the poor beast out of its misery with a slash across the throat. I then gently took the arrow out of the kill and flashed it to my personal tent.

Thoroughly enjoyed with my success, I made my way through the thick forest and back towards the clearing where the hunt had camp set up..

When I arrived at the campsite my lieutenant Thalia came to greet me.

"How was your hunt M'lady?" she asked politely.

"I found a nice and healthy buck out in the forest," I replied back, "but I'm quite exhausted, perhaps I'll take a good long afternoon nap." Wouldn't that be a nice treat, God's don't need sleep but we can get tired. Besides sleeping is very relaxing.

Thalia smirked at me, "of course M'Lady; don't worry about us, we will be good little girls."

I rolled my eyes at her wild shenanigans before turning toward my tent. Suddenly a loud thunderclap rumbled in a otherwise clear blue sky. I looked back at my fellow daughter of Zeus.

"What? It wasn't me." She said nonchalantly.

"Fuck," I murmured it must be old daddy dearest summoning the gods for another boring council meeting, "I've got to go."

Thalia nodded and I flashed myself to my throne on Olympus. Everyone else slowly started to flash to their own respective thrones. The gods around me started to bicker, as they normally do. You try living 4,000 years, it gets boring sometimes. Apollo decided it would be a good idea to bring up the old who was born first argument. I was about ready to stick my arrow up where Apollo don't shine. Luckily for the stupid bastard Hephaestus had managed to pull himself away from his "super important" machines and finally flashed to his seat. Zeus coughed a few times and then started to speak.

"Saved by the bell," I muttered angrily.

"I have gathered you all here today to inform you that the Hero of Olympus, Perseus Jackson…" Zeus paused, most likely for effect always the drama king, "has gone missing."

I found myself gasping in disbelief. Apparently I was not the only one who was shocked by the news because nearly all of the Olympians looked just as shocked as me! Only Dionysus, Hestia and Aphrodite has a calm expecting expression on their faces. And one of them was sleeping.

"Chiron actually informed me quite some time ago," Zeus continued.

"How long ago?" Shouted Poseidon, clearly very angry.

Zeus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "since the morning after The Battle of Manhattan"

He was gone for that fucking long and no one thought it would be appropriate to tell me about it, I thought to myself. This thought surprised me, he was a male, since when did I bother with males. Hmm on that train of thought I suppose it did make some sense why I wasn't told.

Poseidon must of had a similar thought process aligned with why the fuck because he stood up off his throne and yelled "WHAT, why has no one felt it necessary to informe me of this!"

"Brother settle down, Chiron and I agreed that he must of just wanted to take a short break, a summer holiday or something, we didn't think it was worth bothering any of you," Zeus cleared his throat, "but clearly he would have come back by now if that were the case." The king of the gods paused again, "Aphrodite, Hestia any input, you didn't look surprised at all when I said he was missing."

The two goddesses seemed to start fierce mental discussion lasting a long hard minute before Hestia finally spoke, "We know why he left, but not where he is."

"Why has he left," Poseidon asked impatiently, clearly eager to put all of his resources into finding the boy"

"We can not say," Aphrodite said, "he forced us to take an oath of secrecy and not all of us break our oaths." Everyone looked at the god of truth.

"She is telling the truth" Apollo finally said but he didn't sound super sure. However the other gods merely grumbled at this.

"Artemis!" Poseidon started, "you must search for Percy and bring him home, now I know you don't do males…"

I cut him off, "I'll do it!" Surprising everyone including myself. "The Hunt and I will find him Poseidon, he held the sky for me, and for that he has my respect"

He nodded, before glaring at his brother, sister, and Aphrodite. Then he vanished in a shroud of vapour.

"Council dismissed," Zeus said, then he too flashed away. The whole room exploded with energy and renewed vulgar. shouts erupted as the gods got into various fights with each other. Apollo started arguing with Hestia, eager to remind her that 'he can sniff out a lie from 500 yards away'. Aphrodite and Hephaestus were talking about a dinner of some sorts, one that the ugly oaf has not appeared for. And ares was starting fights with anyone else, which at the moment consisted of Demeter, Hermes, and, Athena. I sighed deeply, the other gods and goddesses can be so childish. With lovely thought complete I got off my seat and flashed away, I had a job to Finish.

When I returned to the hunt Thalia and the other hunters eagerly awaited me. After politely greeting me she asked me the Inevitably question, "What happened at the meeting?"

I simply sighed. This happens every time there is a council meeting, and knowing my Lieutenant she wouldn't take nothing important for an answer. The girls wanted a full rundown every time. For what reason I had no clue.

"Percy has gone missing," I stated simply, "we must go out searching for him.

"Oh" she said. She has a strong connection with her male cousin and I could tell that she was very clearly worried about him. Curiosity had killed the cat. The rest of the Hunt looked more or less eager to do something, although I did see some anxiety in their eyes.

"Girls pack up, and prepare to leave." I told them , "I'll be in my tent thinking." They nodded and turned away to pack up the camp.

"Oh, Thalia" I shouted. She looked back at me, "we will find him." She nodded and I headed for my tent.

I pulled open the tent flap to my magical tent. The inside looked to be at least twice as big as you would expect from the outside. Furs covered the walls and floors of the structure. A cozy cot lay to one side of the room. I layed down on it and closed my eyes. Is Percy okay I thought. Suddenly a realization hit me, Thalia wasn't the only one who was worried about what the young demigod might be facing.

Autumn soon turned to winter and winter soon turned to spring. Percy Jackson had eluded me. I couldn't pick up a scent, the wolves were also lost. I was pretty confident the Sparti would have difficulties sniffing out the damn demigod. Poseidon was confident that Percy was not anywhere underwater(not that it stopped him from obsessively looking) and Hades insisted he was not dead. A few weeks into the search Hermes said he gave Percy a list of his demigod children, along with a few other gods spawns. The offspring seemed to make it to camp but there was no mention of a boy helping them, always a satyr.

So with no leads the hunt started to search the entire continent, even the most obscure locations. No signs, no leads, nothing. The Hunt was getting rather discouraged. But Thaila and I were persistent. Thaila was intent on finding her cousin, after all they were rather close. But I was furious at Perseus Jackson, no creature in 2,000 years had truly evaded me, but this _boy_ managed to elude me for months. It was infuriating.

The Hunt was currently travelling through a forested area in Northern California. After realizing that normal hunting methods were not working we decided unorthodox methods may hold more water. Earlier in the week I picked up a trail of some ancient beast. Knowing Perseus Jackson, he bound to somehow get involved. The boy seeks out trouble like an alcoholic searching for the nearest liquor store.

The day was slowly turning to dusk. Soon it would be dark and hunting would be extremely difficult. Besides you never truly know what is lurking in the forests. Monsters were still somewhat sparse but it is always better safe than sorry.

I turned towards the girls and spoke, "alright girls, let's find a suitable campsite and settle down for the night."

They all nodded in affirmation. Less than an hour later we had found a nice clearing near a creek. For a long term location I would have passed over it but for our single night stay it would suit our needs. The girls and I then quickly set up our camp, it was one of the things I was most proud of. The whole hunt could set up camp in under twelve minutes. Packing up was ever so slightly faster clocking in at around ten minutes on average.

When had suitably unpacked and made ourselves comfortable we all sat down around a central fire to eat our evening meal. A few girls had managed to chase down a few rabbits which were quickly skinned, cooked, and consumed. We entertained ourselves with some light conversation but there was an underlying weariness to the whole event. Perhaps, I thought, it would be best if we were to give up on this challenging task we have undertaken. But intense determination quickly etched its self into my conscience. Imagine, Lady Artemis, goddess of the Hunt failing to accomplish such a seemingly easy task. She would become the laughing stock of Olympus, disgraced and dishonoured. No, she would complete her hunt, she would not be defeated in a glorified game of hide and seek.

When dinner was completed I sent the Hunt to their tents. If the Hunt was to be successful they aught to have a good nights rest. That and cranky young girls can get quite annoying at times, best to avoid that little basket of goodies. I myself headed towards my own tent.

I opened up the flap to the humble looking dwelling. Of course the inside was much much nicer. The perks of being an immortal goddess. I layed down on the comfy mattress and closed my eyes. Tomorrow will be the day I thought to myself, just like I had for months. Then Without another thought I fell into a peaceful slumber.

The night passed into the next day. Fresh spring breezes brushed against my petite body. The sun was rising over the dew covered landscape. And another day of persistent hunting.

The entire hunt was always up and going after sunrise. After a quick meal they would pack the tents and all of their belongings. Then they would begin their daily trek through the wild forests. Midday we would rest and eat a hearty meal of whatever we managed to gather and kill. I could just will in food but the hunting builds up character. With good luck we would succeed in our hunt within the day. And if said hunt went without success we would continue forward the next day. No need for any complications. It was all very punctual.

Of course the current task did bring complications. But the hunt must be flexible. Besides I have a feeling that this particular hunt will end shortly. One way or another, either in success or failure. Not that I particularly wanted daddy dearest to order off the hunt due to lack of progress.

Just then, I heard salvation. Echoing through the dense forest was a loud aduble CRACK! I quickly raced towards that sound. The Hunt filing in behind, eager for action. We quickly found our way to a clearing. There he was, standing tall and bold, the hero of Olympus. Standing across from him was a fierce looking dragon. It had red and yellow scales and must of stood atleast 30 feet tall. This was not just any dragon I realized, this was Draco the legendary dragon. But it hasn't been spotted for millennia, after it was put it the stars it hasn't reformed. And I doubt that was a coincidence. Yet here it was, ready to squash Perseus under its claws.

For his part, the son of Poseidon looked confident. He turned towards were we entered the clearing. His eyes looked us over until they came into contact with my own. He seemed to be in deep thought for a few fateful seconds, than he gave me one of those goofy grins, winked, and charged straight for the dragon.

The dragon blew a fireball at the charging demigod but Perseus skillfully dodged the bright blue flames. He quickly approached the beast and danced between the dragons swiping claws. One of my hunters stepped up and readied her bow.

"Stand down," I told her. She obeyed but looked at me questioningly. "If we defeat the dragon for him he will be able to make an escape," I explained, "besides our arrows will have little effect on the beasts hide."

In truth, I was curious as to how he would do against such a legendary opponent. Although it was rather unlikely the demigod would succeed he had faced worse odds in the past. Besides, there was no reason to gamble my hunters lives if he did manage to defeat Draco.

Meanwhile Perseus had managed to climb the dragons spiked tail and was currently hanging on for dear life. A normal person would be terrified but even a hundred yards away I could see the smile that the idiot had plastered on his face. Using what must have been a tremendous amount of strength he hoisted himself onto the dragons back. The dragon struggled to knock him off but the son of Poseidon held on, if only just barely. Then with a massive flap of its wings the legendary dragon took flight. The grin vanished from Perseus's face as mass panic entered his conscious. As a son of Poseidon it must be rather frightening to be in my father's domain. But he still hung on.

Somehow the stupid boy managed to climb the dragon whilst it was actively trying to fling him off. He was now at the head of the beast. Marking his way to one of Draco's eyes a great gleaming sword appeared in his hand. With a great thrust Perseus stabbed the eye with great force. This succeeded in the dragon roaring loudly and rearing up its head. The son of Poseidon went flying through the air. He crashed into a tree with enough force to crack it, causing the poor plant to collapse.

Incredibly just a few seconds later he was up and facing off against the one-eyed dragon. The dragon, for its part looked furious. Steam surrounded the monster and smoke poured from his ugly nostrils.

Now swordless Perseus changed strategies. The earth began to rumble slightly as He confidently strode forward. Then he started to charge. Another large ball of fire was sent at the boy. He rolled aside without issue. Then as he approached the dragon he pounded his fist into the ground causing a powerful earthquake. The dragon stumbled and Jackson struck. A large collection of water flew towards the beast and drenched it from head to toe. Most of the water vaporised and the entire field was concealed.

Seconds later the steam dispersed and draco lay dead from a sword wound deep into its throat. Perseus was covered in a green blood and the once roaring dragon slowly turned into dust before dispersing in the wind.

I waved my hand ordering the hunters in to capture the male before he could make a sly get away. Turns out I didn't have to, the demigod feinted, collapsing to the ground in a rather uncomfortable way.

Great, now we have to carry him.


End file.
